FACT SHEET Andy Berry, the leader of the petition drive to take Clark Co. wet in 2008 gave the following reasons for going wet:

Andy Berry said going wet was a "piece of the puzzle for growth and prosperity.” Berry said studies have shown that crime rates drop when a county switches from dry to wet, and that DWIs and other alcohol-related crimes decrease. He added that going wet is only one of several "pieces of the puzzle" for economic development in the county. "It's not the whole thing," Berry said. "We're not going to be a thriving county overnight."

THREE PRIMARY ARGUMENTS GIVEN FOR A COUNTY GOING WET OR ADDING MORE ALCOHOL OUTLETS All of these arguments are patently false.1. Increases taxes causing economic growth and development and prosperity.2. DWI’s and other alcohol related crimes decrease.3. Crime rates drop

MYTH OF ALCOHOL TAXESMYTH: City and county coffers will be over-flowing with new tax revenue from the sales tax collected on alcohol sales.

​FACT: Other than a local county and/or city sales tax a wet county does not receive all of the taxes received from alcohol sold in that county. The remainder of the sales taxes collected, as indicated below, leaves the county and goes into the states general coffers in Little Rock, which is disbursed according the law. (Source: Arkansas Dept. of Finance & Administration.)

FACT: Any added taxes received from the sale of alcohol will be quickly used in addressing the additional problems caused by the presence and sale of alcohol and more taxes very likely needed as indicated by information in this booklet.

DUI/DWI’s, WRECKS, & DEATHS IN WET AND DRY COUNTIES

MYTH: Driving to wet counties from dry counties to buy alcohol causes DUI’s, more wrecks and more deaths. Alcohol proponents like to cite the death rate from alcohol related automobile crashes as a good reason to vote a dry county wet.

FACT: There are more DUI/DWI arrests in wet counties & almost the same number of alcohol related crashes causing deaths.

IS ALCOHOL GOOD FOR GROWTH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

MYTH: Alcohol is good for economic growth and development?FACT: Alcohol is bad for economic growth and development.

FACTS ABOUT CRIME AND SAFETY IN WET AND DRYMYTH: Wet counties are just as safe as dry counties.FACT: Crime is higher in wet counties.

MYTH: Crime does not increase when a county goes wet.FACT: Crime increases either immediately after becoming wet or a short time down the road.

SUMMARY OF FACTS IN THIS BOOKFACT: The crime rate in wet counties averaged 42% higher than in dry counties for years 2006 through 2012. (Source: Arkansas Crime Information Center)

FACT: Forcible rape in Boone County increased by 58% over 2 years after it became wet. (Source: Arkansas Crime Information Center)

FACT: Forcible rape in Marion County increased by an average of 383% in the 6 years after becoming wet. (Source: Arkansas Crime Information Center)

FACT: Overall crime increased in Boone County by 20% over 2 years after it became wet. (Source: Arkansas Crime Information Center)

FACT: Overall crime increased in Marion County by an average of 40% over 6 years after it became wet. (Source: Arkansas Crime Information Center)

FACT: DUIs in wet counties averaged 22% more than in dry counties for the years 2006 through 2012. (Source: Arkansas Crime Information Center)

FACT: Driving to dry counties to buy alcohol does not result in more DUI accidents or fatal crashes. (2 pages explaining this)

FACT: Law enforcement personnel averages much more in wet counties than dry: 37% more in 1998, 45% more in 2005, and 41% more in 2010. Other years would be similar. (Source: Arkansas Crime Information Center)

FACT: There were more clients entering drug treatment facilities in wet counties than in dry counties in 2006 and 2009. The same would almost be certain for other years. (Source: Dept. of Human Services UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute 2011, Arkansas State Epidemiological Profile: Substance Use Abuse and Consumption and Consequences.)

FACT: From 1940 to 2010, dry counties pop. grew by 70% on the average while wet counties only grew by 34% on average. (Source: Unites States Census Bureau)

FACT: From 1990 to 2000, dry counties on the average grew by 22% while wet counties on the average grew by only 3.4%. (Source: Unites States Census Bureau)